South Africa’s grain leaders gathered this week at the annual Grain SA Research Meeting with a clear message: future competitiveness will depend on tighter integration between policy, research and implementation, accelerated technology adoption, and a renewed focus on biosecurity and inclusion.
From government and industry to research institutions, speakers emphasised that collaboration, not fragmentation, will determine whether the industry sustains its productivity gains and navigates mounting global pressures.
Opening the discussion, Grain SA CEO Tobias Doyer called for a modernised partnership between the government and the private sector, particularly in research and biosecurity.
“We need to modernise our partnership, our integration between government and the private sector in South Africa.
“What we need is a good balance. Certain things need to be controlled by the state. Certain things need to be executed by the private sector,” Doyer said.
He cautioned against polarising rhetoric around “big agriculture” or “big state”, arguing instead for a unified vision that enables investment and innovation to flourish for the benefit of society.
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Central to this vision is strengthening biosecurity systems and building a research and innovation ecosystem that attracts capital while protecting national agricultural assets.
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Policy, research and implementation
Director-general Mooketsa Ramasodi of the department of agriculture framed the sector’s future around what he termed a “tripod” of policy, research and implementation.
“You should never try to separate the areas in terms of the tripod. Policy, research, implementation, that’s all that we are here for,” he said.
Ramasodi highlighted that South Africa’s agricultural exports reached US$50.1 billion in the past year, a milestone reflecting sustained sector growth. Employment has also trended upward over the past decade.
Yet he challenged the sector to think bigger, noting that Africa is projected to import US$101 billion worth of agricultural products in 2025. “The question that I raise is: with the technology that we have in Africa, aren’t we supposed to be exporting?”
Technology and innovation, particularly in areas such as new breeding technologies (NBTs), biosecurity and climate-smart production, were identified as key to unlocking the next phase of growth. Ramasodi called for regulatory clarity and decisive engagement on whether current frameworks are sufficiently enabling innovation.
Logistics, new technology crucial for growth
Managing director of the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), Dr Ferdi Meyer, provided a sobering economic perspective.
“Gross margins for maize from this year compared to last year are down 65%. How are we going to survive that squeeze?” Meyer asked.
Despite margin pressures, South Africa’s productivity gains remain striking. Over the past decade, maize yields have increased at an average annual rate of 4.8%, nearly double that of the United States. Soybean yields have also improved steadily, though regulatory lag in accessing newer technologies remains a concern.
Since 2020, approximately 500 000 hectares of grain land have been brought back into production, supported by improved cultivars, precision agriculture and better farming practices.
However, Meyer warned that further expansion, particularly into underutilised land in provinces such as the Eastern Cape, will require coordinated support services, finance and logistics investment. “If we want to grow our grain economy, logistics are critical.”
Meanwhile, Dr Kenny Tenza, acting deputy director-general at the department of science and innovation, stressed that science, technology and innovation (STI) must translate into measurable impact on farms.
The development of an Agricultural STI Roadmap aims to ensure that research investments result in adopted technologies, stronger value chains and improved socio-economic outcomes.
“Inclusion is not an afterthought. It is a core indicator of impact,” Tenza said, highlighting the need to extend technology access to smallholders, women and youth.
Digital agriculture and decision-support platforms were identified as critical tools, provided they remain farmer-centred, affordable and accessible.
Building a resilient grain industry
Chief executive officer for the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Dr Litha Magingxa, focused on resilience in the face of climate volatility.
“Grains are the backbone of the South African food system. The resilience of the grain sector is inseparable from the resilience of our nation,” Magingxa said.
Plant breeding remains central, with advances in marker-assisted selection, genomic tools and high-throughput genotyping shortening breeding cycles and improving precision. Genetic resource collections were described as “national insurance policies” against emerging stresses.
Beyond genetics, conservation agriculture, regenerative systems, crop modelling, cultivar trials and strengthened diagnostic capacity form part of a broader resilience strategy.
Magingxa emphasised that isolated excellence is no longer sufficient. “The time for operating in silos has passed. Our success depends on coordinated action.”
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